Mannings

Ah, let's not be too hard on MetroGT. Sure, he is incapable of letting anyone have the last word, but he is doing an excellent job of keeping the thread at the top of the queue. Still, it isnt getting much nibbles, so maybe it is overpriced. I have decided to let market forces do their thing. If you are interested: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...AMESE%3AIT&rd=1

Dont forget it includes a $8 logbook and $15+ rock container. and will be shipped the next day. I think for free shipping on the site it takes a while. BTW, The rock micro thing was bought at the hardware store and only cost about $5. Thanks for coming to my defense!

My kids have gotten pretty busy, so we do not seem to cache anymore. I am selling off 8 unused travel bugs. They are still in the plastic bag. I am also including an REI waterproof journal. 4 5/8 x 7 - 32 sheets. It makes a great log book. AND a rock shaped cache container. They are always a lot of fun! $40 for the lot, plus $5 shipping. I take paypal and will mail no later than a day after receiving payment.

I am sorry to be replying so late (and too late for the original poster), but I managed to get Garmin to send me new gaskets for both the ETrex and the V, for free - and one of the units was even off warantee. They wanted to charge 70ish buck for the one that was off warantee (the Etrex). How did I do it? I argued with them - but stayed polite and firm and persistant. I was in the right, and knew it. So did they. I also got them to once give me a free update on the Maps - again, I was in the right. I was going to Hawaii, and noted they had no details for the big Island, though the new version did. When I emailed them about this, they informed me if I would look at the box my V had come in, it made it very clear that Hawaii was not included. Luckily I had the box, and it said nothing about excluding large parts of Hawaii, and infact had a map, which included several of the islands. I pointed that out, and they apologized, and gave me a free upgrade. Again, I was polite, but insistant. Laura

Actually, I have managed to get somewhere with Garmin. They finally agreed to send me the parts - for free even, though I would have been fine paying for them. I am not sure if it was because I told them I was going to discuss the issue here, or I just stated my case well. This is actually the second time I have prevailed in a dispute with Garmin. The first was when I was planning a trip to Hawaii, and found that Mapsource 4.1 didnt cover the Big Island. I wrote them and they told me the box made it clear they didnt. I checked the box and found no such disclaimer, but did see a little map that clearly showed some of the islands, including the big island. They gave me version 5.0 gratis. I think many companies will prevail if you are in the right, and are persistent, yet civil. Laura

We own two Garmin, an Etrex and a V. We are pleased with them, except that both of them are now having problems with ruuber gasket that protects the contacts. With the Etrex this gasket is part of the whole rubber part that also covoers the keys. For the V, the gasket is a trivial piece, which is easily changed with a small screw - a one minute job that even I could do. The Ertex is a bit more complicated. Some sort of adhesive will be needed to keep the gasket in place, and it must line up with the buttons - that looks like a 5 minute job, but some care will be needed. The Etrex was purchased just over 14 months ago, the V just over a year, so neither are under warranty. I have written to Garmin and here is their initial response. I was really appalled ... --- From what you describe both units will need to be returned to the factory for repair/service. The flat rate of repair for your etrex unit is $59.00 and the GPSV is $150.00, however these units would be covered under warranty if the receipt is less than one year from the date of purchase. --- We have had several go rounds on this. They have offered to do the GPSV for free, but I dont really even care about that one, though for a few bucks I would replace the piece myself. I am more concerned about the Etrex - $59! It has recently been on sale at Fry's for $79. So, if you have made it this far, I am wondering - has anyone else had problems with the rubber gaskets on their Etrex? How did you deal with it? Are their similar issues with Magellan? I would love to have some others experiences to share with Garmin as we rehash this issues. As it stands now I assume my son will just use his Etrex until it wears out and then replace it with something else. Thanks! Laura

Thanks anyway, Seatrout. I think the problem is that when I use notepad it strips out some important non ascii stuff. But it was a good idea and I appreaciate your efforts. Thanks also to Clyde and Embra. I have downloaded GSAK, and it looks pretty cool - very powerful and confusing, but it will solve the problem. I do want to keep using the GC code - we work from Geocaching maps and Cachemate - the GC number is just a very convenient lable for the caches. It looks like I can remove the GC and add terrain/difficult to the back. Way cool! It will also make things a lot easier for me, because I take the GPS files and download them both to my GPS and to Cachemate. It looks like GSAK will take care of both of those downloads, which will make life a lot easier! Laura

Ok, I downloaded it. It looks pretty nifty. I figured out how to change the Cache Code (what they call it), but only for one at a time. Any ideas how to do it globally? Thanks!

Oh, it definitely does - we get pocket queries, and specify GPX files. On my system, anything with a .gpx extention defaults to be opened by EasyGPS. I open it with easyGPS, and then download it onto my GarminV. I also email him a copy, and he loads them onto his etrex.

EasyGPS

Well, it worked well in Notepad, but then when I tried reading the resulting file in EasyGPS, it didnt load in any of the records.

My son has the little yellow etrex. I run pocket queries of areas we are visiting, so he can load them up thru a data cable, but when he wants to find a particular waypoint, he has to scroll thru all of them. If he could strip off the GC, then he would have a lot easier time of it, because the etrex categorized them by first letter. I would like a nice easy utility for him to use. Thanks! Laura

Nevermind. it seems to be working now. thank goodness!

My membership lapsed today, I did get a reminder a while ago, but I was expecting to get one closer to the actual day. I just renewed thru paypal, and since I have a balance there, they transferred the money immediately, and I got a confirmation letter from the geocaching site, along with a subscription number. When I went to enter my subscription number, it told me that if I paid by e-check it might take 4-6 days to clear, and that they would send me confirmation as soon as they received the number. I didnt pay by e-check, and I have received the confirmation email. So, why isnt it taking the subscription number (which I cut and paste, and I confirmed I got it all in) I have written to the site, but I worry they will take thier time answering this. I am leaving on a two week trip in a couple of days, and I really need pocket query NOW! Has anyone else had this problem? How long did it take for geocaching to recognize the subscription number? HELP!! Thanks.

I posted something like this a couple of weeks ago, but the only response I got was smart-a** response from someone who thought that if I spent all that time looking for a cache, I shouldnt mind a few minutes to log it... I thought it would be helpful to have a 2nd text box on the log page, and that would only go to the owner of the cache. It could also be used to give info about the condition of physical caches. Very efficient!

Yup. Guess so. Actually, I think I am trying to be more efficient. After a long day of Geocaching, logging can get tiresome. Ever Cache in DC? Every durn cache is a virtual, and there I am in a hotel, paying for net access, and it was slow going!! The current system is fine for a few caches, but we cache on trips, and end up caches quite a few at a time. You really notice it then.

I wish there was a second text box on the log page - and it would go only to the owner of the cache. That would make it much easier to submit virtuals. It would also make it easier to tell the owner some info on the status of the cache, without telling everyone else - like when you think you found it in the wrong place. My second choice would be to have a link to email the owner on the cache page. If you have multiple caches to log, and some of them also need a email to the owner, it gets old having to go to the users page, and the click on email, then go back to the original page - especially when the server is slow.

Yesterday we were supposed to go to a Halloween Party in that area. We had planned to hit three caches within a mile of the our friend's house. Instead, they got evacuated. Horses and Hockeys was one the the caches we had planned to visit!

I have Cachemate, and it is a great tool - a great way to go paperless. The earlier version wasnt terribly useful, but in the last couple of there have been some great additions. Now you can even download everything already decoded, but I don't see the point.

I had a bug that was supposed to go east to washington, DC. It started in Oregon, then went NE to the eastern part of WA. Then the next several cachers took it west. My kids were wondering if people were just a bit unclear on geography. Another of our bugs was taken by cacher had only found one cache before - about six months ago. He took a bug out of his first cache, and finally placed it in another cache, saying he felt guilty. So, why on earth did he pick up another one?? I sure hope it isnt going to take him six months. I am not sure how to tactfully ask him to place it, so I am just steering clear. I think it is just part of having a bug. People dont always play the way you want them to. Hope your bug shows up!

Thanks!

I wanted to add a note to my cache, so I used the pull down menu to specify 'Note', but as often happens with pull down menus, it stayed active, and I didnt notice. Then I scrolled somewhere else, and the pulldown scrolled to Archive. I typed in my note and hit enter, and now my cache is archived. I tried editing the entry back to note, but it did no good. (I sent an email to the contact us address, but no answer ) That was way too easy! The archive button is on the cache page. I assume the pull down menu is to recommend archiving someone elses cache. It should not archive an owners cache. Laura

I accidentally archived one of my caches, and it was quite easy to do I was going to leave a note, so I used the pull down menu to indicate "note". Of course, if one doesnt pay careful attention, it is quite easy to keep a pull down menu active - then when you scroll down to something else, it changes the pull down value, which in my case went to "archive". Now there is no way to reverse it (though I have sent email asking for it to be reversed, but I havent received an answer yet). It seems to me that the way to archive my cache is on the cache page, and should be removed from the log page, because it is too easy to accidentally select it. I guess the arcive field is there to notify the cache gods that a cache needs to be archived, but it also archives if the owner selects it. And, is there any way to unarchive. I edited the entry and changed it to note, but it remained archived. Thanks.

I accidentally archived one of my caches, and it was quite easy to do I was going to leave a note, so I used the pull down menu to indicate "note". Of course, if one doesnt pay careful attention, it is quite easy to keep a pull down menu active - then when you scroll down to something else, it changes the pull down value, which in my case went to "archive". Now there is no way to reverse it (though I have sent email asking for it to be reversed, but I havent received an answer yet). It seems to me that the way to archive my cache is on the cache page, and should be removed from the log page, because it is too easy to accidentally select it. I guess the arcive field is there to notify the cache gods that a cache needs to be archived, but it also archives if the owner selects it. And, is there any way to unarchive. I edited the entry and changed it to note, but it remained archived. Thanks.

I accidentally archived one of my caches, and it was quite easy to do I was going to leave a note, so I used the pull down menu to indicate "note". Of course, if one doesnt pay careful attention, it is quite easy to keep a pull down menu active - then when you scroll down to something else, it changes the pull down value, which in my case went to "archive". Now there is no way to reverse it (though I have sent email asking for it to be reversed, but I havent received an answer yet). It seems to me that the way to archive my cache is on the cache page, and should be removed from the log page, because it is too easy to accidentally select it. I guess the arcive field is there to notify the cache gods that a cache needs to be archived, but it also archives if the owner selects it. And, is there any way to unarchive. I edited the entry and changed it to note, but it remained archived. Thanks.